


With Every Will

by itsfrantastic



Category: Glee, Merlin (TV), Merlin - Fandom
Genre: Anti Blaine, Anti klaine, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-08-24 03:19:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16631906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsfrantastic/pseuds/itsfrantastic
Summary: Kurt Hummel leaves most things behind as he takes a semester abroad in London, along the way, he meets exciting new people, a wonderful mysterious man who plays for Arsenal FC, and discovers more things about himself he never knew.





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

He stared at the screen for longer than he should have. The black lines began to run together, the letters causing a large headache. Kurt Hummel sat in a quiet corner of the New York City Public Library, shocked and in awe. He refused to study at the NYADA library, where Rachel could find him or where her sycophants could snap pictures of him to her and make fun of how hard he was concentrating. Plus, on the other side of town, no one would be able to read the email he was certainly pouring over. He read it over and over again. He double-checked it was addressed to him.

 

 

 

> Mr Hummel,
> 
> The Office of University Affairs and the Student Study Abroad Program are delighted to inform you that you have been accepted to the spring program at the Royal Holloway University of London to study Design and French! Attached is a file package of necessary information in regards to your semester abroad with us! You will receive a following email about scholarship and grant opportunities. We are so excited to have you at Royal Holloway! Please feel free to contact us at the department with any questions you may have,
> 
> Rebecca Dawson
> 
> University Affairs
> 
> 860-433-4566
> 
> dawsonr@nyada.edu

Kurt gripped the side of his Mac and glanced up and quickly scanned the room. He couldn’t believe this! He applied for a few programs, one in London, one in Auckland, and one in Seoul. Those were the only ones out of the 100 some programs NYADA offered that would give him the courses he needed to further his arts degree. London was absolutely his first pick, although Auckland looked just as beautiful. He knew this was a possibility, but the thought of leaving his new home, of the place where he was most comfortable? It scared him. He clicked on the attached file and quickly scanned through the numerous pages in the PDF. It would cost 6 thousand dollars, take six months, and he would leave London with 20 credit hours, some in accelerated courses. He needed a Visa, he needed to fill out the 10 pages of transfer program paperwork, and he would need a physical from his primary care physician, but damn, Kurt Hummel was going to London! To live! Where no one knew his name? No Rachel Berry to take the limelight from him, no Blaine Anderson to demand his love and affection, no bitchy or catty highschool girls that exchanged conflict for comfort.

He took a deep breath in and furiously blinked away tears. He typed out a quick thank you reply, and then set a date to meet with her in her office to turn in final paperwork. He would need to start packing and looking at flights. It was a little bit overwhelming, and he was afraid of what his father and step-mother would say, but Kurt would be lying if he couldn’t tell you exactly how excited he was. There was a huge surge in his veins at the thought of being able to be himself and free in England! Studying abroad, for some, was considered a typical part of the college experience, but for sheltered Ohioan Kurt Hummel? As a child, Kurt longed for a life outside of Lima—he knew his father would disapprove immensely. Burt was a good man but he was content with his simple life, and he wanted success and safety for his boys. That meant staying in Ohio forever.

Kurt’s finger lingered over the play button. Blaine left constant text messages and voicemails since the Eli situation, and every single one of them filled him with a terrible sense of longing and anger. They pooled in his belly and filled his throat with bile. He would cry, he would scream, he would write rants in his journal—nothing ever helped soothe that ache besides radio silence. He didn’t want to talk to Blaine, he didn’t want to look at Blaine. He didn’t want to see anyone else that wanted him to talk to Blaine. For some reason, along the way of their relationship, all of his former high-school friends had become just so invested in their love story. It became an identity, it became who Kurt was. Kurt firmly believed he was more than just the love he could give to a boy. Wasn’t he Kurt? Didn't he have talent, and worth? Beyond being Blaine Devon Anderson’s sidekick? The truth was, that many of the members in Glee never really cared for who Kurt was. Blaine was Kurt in more palatable ways, and Kurt came to terms with that long before the cheating and the breakup.

Kurt pressed play and slipped his headphones in.

“I don’t really like that you’re ignoring me.” Blaine’s soft weary voice filled Kurt’s ears. “It’s not like I haven’t said I’m sorry a million times. You’re just being dramatic now, Kurtie! Seriously, I love you. You and I? We’re meant to be, baby. Just call me and we can talk about getting back together. You’ve made your point.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and pressed his hands to his temples. His headache was raging. He deleted the voicemail immediately and placed his phone on the table. He glanced at the time, 4:45. He could easily stay in the library all day, doing homework and scouring the web for inspiration for his fashion blog, or he could go home and be comfortable in his bed, watching reruns of his favorite tv land shows. But at home, he would have to face Rachel. He would have to face all of her questions about Blaine. His fingers drummed against the side of his laptop, before finally deciding on spending the afternoon window shopping.

He arrived at his front door around 8, exhausted and yet, finally peaceful after an evening to himself. He stopped by the Gucci store, bought a small brooch that only cost him 24 dollars at a second-hand boutique and planned three new outfits for his Instagram and a spread for Isabel. Kurt placed a small hand on the door before sighing. He could hear the faint sound of Santana cooking, pots and pans banging on the stovetop. Rachel was singing-- he couldn’t recognize the tune through the heavy wooden sliding door, but Kurt recognized the timbre of her voice.

He slid the door open and smiled at his friends.

“Kurt!” Rachel said immediately, her heels hit the polished mahogany floor as she ran towards him, sheet music in hand. He saw Santana raise an eyebrow over the tamales she was preparing.

“Rachel,” He replied.

“How dare you not tell me that you got back with Blaine?” She said as she accused, arms folded at her chest, her Rachel necklace swayed against the wool of her heavy black turtleneck. Santana stopped cutting an onion to watch.

“Can I set my bags down Rach or do you need to interrogate me at the door?”

“No, seriously! I’m offended that I had to hear about it from Artie who was told by Kitty who found out from Marley after a sleepover she had with Tina!”

Kurt really couldn’t keep up with her logic. He brushed past her and walked towards his section of the apartment.

“Kurt! Don’t ignore me! I’m happy for you, but I thought we were closer than this!” He looked at her before sharply closing the curtain. They had an unspoken rule in the apartment when curtains were closed they all knew to leave well enough alone. Where had she gotten that information from? He wasn't with Blaine! Kurt knew that he probably would not get back with Blaine anytime soon and yet . . . he had ignored all the texts and calls from Blaine during his evening to himself, but now that he was finally home he unlocked his phone and clicked on the message icon.

15 unread text messages from Blaine DO NOT RESPOND Anderson.

 

 

 

> _Kurt i love you_
> 
> _Kurt pls respond_
> 
> _You really think you can replace me?_
> 
> _KURT I love you so much, Kurt! Listen, I know you’re still mad but I have this really great date idea for an evening out. I’m gonna go ahead and get us the tickets. I promise it’ll be spectacular._

Kurt stopped reading immediately. He felt sick again. Had Blaine told everyone that they were together again without consulting him? Did Kurt’s feelings and opinions no longer matter anymore?

Kurt set his items aside before crawling into his bed and burrowing under the covers. He wanted to cry. How had he ended up in this bizarro situation? Before he had time to reflect and consider his options the curtain was thrown back and Santana barged in.

“You got back with the rabbit? Why would you do that?” She said. Kurt slowly emerged from his cocoon.

“Santana, I - I didn’t.” He said slowly. At first to reaffirm it to himself, that maybe he had called Blaine in his sleep or a secret evil twin hadn’t come from a far distant planet to take over his life. He was starting to think like Sam . . .

“You didn’t? Why am I getting a dozen texts congratulating Blanderson in the glee group chat?”

“There’s a group chat? How come I’m not—whatever, San. I am not dating Blaine and I don’t think I will be anytime soon.”

“Oh,” Santana said. She slipped her hands into her pajama bottoms and nodded appreciatively. “Why is he telling everyone you are?” She asked. She stood at the curtain before running a hand through her way and climbing atop his bed. She shoved him aside and grabbed a hold of his blanket. “Berry went out with that weird guy she’s seeing so you can speak freely,” Santana said as she moved to get comfy.

“He’s been texting and calling non stop lately. I try to only answer when he seems to get really upset, but my Dad called the other day to tell me a story about when he was dating my Mom. San, he was all but begging me to get back with him! He said he didn’t care about what happened between us, only that love was precious and innocent and that I owed it to Mom’s memory or something like that.” Tears began to prickle at the edges of Kurt’s eyes and he knew that if he kept talking he would cry.

“Whoa—really? That’s pretty fucked, Kurt. Like, that's more underhanded than something that I would do,” Santana said. Kurt sighed. He played with the strings on the old blanket but when he looked up at his friend again tears were openly falling.

“I just—don’t know what to do. Santana, I hate it here. Everyone is Blaine’s friend and not mine. I see him everywhere, he has everyone and now he has my Dad? What do I do?” Kurt began to sob into the corner of his blanket. Santana rubbed his back gently. “—and I got accepted to this - this - this program in London. I think that I—”

“Whoa, whoa. London? Since when did you apply to study abroad?” Santana asked.

“Last month, I saw an ad at a campus event and I went to the information meeting. But I don’t know if I should go.” Santana tucked a strand of silky black hair behind her ear before she responded.

“You ever been to Europe, Kurt?” She asked, even though Kurt was positive she knew the answer. He shook his head no.

“How many states outside of New York and Ohio have you been to?”

“My aunt lives in Washington but I never went to visit her…” Santana humphed and crossed her arms.

“That’s my fucking point. When will you ever get the chance to do this again? You wanna’ go to Europe then go to freaking Europe! Who cares what these tiny minded freaks from high-school think. From high-school! Kurt! High-school! Do you know how many of the girls from the cheerios I talk to? Two. And that’s literally Quinn and Brittany when she’s not mad at me. I live with you and Berry but if it wasn’t for this group chat I wouldn’t be talking to anyone else. It’s okay to not be friends with the people that knew you when you were a kid. It’s okay to grow apart and separate from a place that caused you hell.” Santana said with passion as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

Kurt had stopped crying, but tears still feel down his cheeks.

“Believe it or not, Hummel, but it’s okay to not marry your high-school sweetie. We haven’t even peaked yet, we have room to grow! Go to England. Fuck as many British guys as you can. Make mistakes, learn, grow, dance, be happy. As cliche as this fucking sounds, and I know it does, this is amazing for you.” Santana slipped out from under the covers before turning to give Kurt a hug.

“San, don’t tell anybody yet? I think I still need to process this.” Kurt asked as he wiped his tears.

“Kay, that’s fine. You should stop crying. You look like a weird cabbage patch kid.” Santana smiled as she walked away.

Kurt laughed.

"San," Kurt called from his now obvious blanket cocoon. She turned around and walked back. 

"Yeah?" 

"You still have that money your parents gave you?" 

She shrugged and made a gesture with her hands. 

"I spent a few thousand but I've got 15 set aside in my savings. The rest I use for rent and bills." She said. 

"You should come with me," Kurt replied. He hadn't thought about bringing anyone with him, and since Santana wasn't enrolled she couldn't the program he did, but she could visit him or move into an apartment with him. 

"You'd need to get your Visa paperwork done as soon as possible but it'd be nice to have someone with me in a foreign country." 

Her body went still, and her hands came to rest at the hem of her blouse. It was obvious she hadn't thought that was something he would ask her. It made sense to Santana, and she was lost and needed a direction to move her life into. Could she chase her friends as they followed their dreams for her entire life? Of course not, but she was young, and Santana firmly believed in doing whatever she wanted.

"Bet. I'll text my Dad to get started on the process right away." 

Kurt felt relieved, and he knew his Dad would be more inclined to let him go if he had someone with him. 

He smiled and turned around, snuggling closer into the covers. 


	2. My Life Revolves Around Cliches I Hated As A Kid

   Kurt sat outside the corridor before his next class began. He gripped his iphone too tightly, but he knew he needed to call Blaine. Since his conversation with Santana, he had received far too many text messages and phone calls from his so called friends either congratulating them on his newfound relationship status, or to berate him for not giving them what they perceived as owed information.  How had Blaine gotten the impression that they were once again an item? Had Kurt lead him on? Had he said something that he didn’t mean to say? The more he thought about it, the angrier it made him.  He dialed Blaine's number on the keypad. It rang twice before he picked up.

 “Kurt? Hey! Kurtie! I’m just heading into Cheerios practice, can I call you later babe?”

 “No, Blaine. I’m sorry to bother you but we need to talk and we need to talk now.”

  Kurt heard silence on the other end of the line, and then a cough. Blaine Anderson sighed before replying.

 “Okay, okay. Let me head back into the locker room.”

  Kurt waited until Blaine spoke again.

 “Hey! I missed you. I know you needed your space, so I was really trying not to text you too much.”

  Kurt wanted to scream. Was this man dense?

 “Thanks for that Blaine,” Kurt said.

  “Anyways, babe. I really haven’t got a lot of time. What’s up?”

  “Why have you told people that we’re back together?” Kurt asked. He hadn’t planned on being so abrupt, he definitely wanted to ease into it, but he was starting to become angrier by the second.

  Blaine stopped. Kurt heard noises in the background, but couldn’t exactly decipher who it was.

 “Are we not?” Came the younger boy’s response.

  The hairs on the back of Kurt’s neck stood immediately.

 “Blaine, I never said that we were back together.”

 “Yes, you did.”

 “When?”

  Blaine laughed then, and Kurt slid down the wall, legs resting underneath him in a haphazard pile. He felt weak. Felt like he could no longer control his own life.

“Now you’re just being dramatic. Babe, I gotta’ go. Love you, okay? I’ll text you later about that date!”

  The line went dead.  He saw his classmates shuffle into the empty classroom. A few glanced at him with curiosity, but not many paid him much attention. People were dramatic in college, and at a performing arts school? Well, the sight of many tired artists draped against a bench like a Greco-roman painting was a staple of the decor. He watched as his Professor filtered in; she glanced down at him from the door.

“Mr. Hummel?”

He glanced up, gave her a half-hearted toothless smile and rose.

He hardly paid attention to her lecture.

  
***  


He clocked into work with a heavy heart, it was made heavier when he remembered he needed to meet with Isabel during his shift to discuss his trip. He glanced at his phone to several frantic texts from Santana.

 

> _ALERT ALERT STOP KURT ALERT_
> 
> _THE EYEBROW FOUND OUT ABOUT LONDON_
> 
> _IM SO SORRY I DIDNT MEAN TO TELL HER_
> 
> _Well, it happened. I was talking to my mom on the phone, and I didn’t even hear berry come in._
> 
> _She heard everything kurt im sorry_

He quickly typed a reply back.

_Where is she now, San?_

  “Kurt! That tie is just to tie for!” His coworker laughed at their own pun.

  He gave a polite smile and slipped his phone into his desk with a reluctance.  Rachel knowing prematurely made everything more complicated than it needed to be. He just wanted to do one thing in his life without everyone he knew from high-school causing problems. He stood up and excused himself to the break room for a stress snack. 

 

  “Kurt, is this what you really want to do?” Isabel asked concern etched on her features. Isabel was more than just his fairy godmother, she was a confidant and a friend. Kurt had no motherly figure in his life to speak of -- Carol was great, she truly was, but she was also Finn’s mom, and Kurt didn’t feel comfortable coming to her with things because she was always on Finn’s side. It was nice to have someone just in his corner for once, someone who would back him up in a fight without any questions.  He sat on the other side of her desk and gently played with his fingers. He had called her and spoke with her a week prior to actually sitting in her office to discuss if she could hold his job.

  “Yes, I think so.” Now that it was a reality for him, the idea began to grow in his mind.

  Isabel smiled and said: “Alright, Kurt! You know we’ll hold your job for you, but I just need to ask you if you’re doing this for the experience or if you’re doing this just to run away.”

   Was he running away? The thought had never occurred to him. He knew that in a way he most certainly was, but the idea of going to London was exciting, and he was eager to begin a new adventure.

 “I might be, Isabel, but I think in this case that’s okay. It’s not permanent, it’s not harmful, and the only thing it’s going to do is set me back a few grand. I’ll just take out a loan.”

  Isabel nodded thoughtfully before bending down and grabbing an item from behind her desk.

  “Actually, sweetie, it’s not.” She said before coming back up and handing Kurt a bright pink gift bag, it’s matching pink tissue paper was covered in sparkles and glitter. His breath hitched in his throat.

  Isabel watched him take the bag from her with nimble fingers. He gazed at it.

 “Isabel, what’s this?”

  “Just open it, Kurt,” She said with a magical glint in her eye. “It’s just a little something from everyone here at the office! Kurt, you’re an integral part of my team. You’re not just my secretary and assistant. You have great ideas, your spreads are amazing. One day you might sit where I sit. You have great potential to work for Vogue, or any other fashion magazine. You know fashion better than most interns. We love you here at Vogue dot com, and we’re going to keep you.”

  Kurt desperately wanted to avoid crying in front of a woman as powerful as Isabel but he didn’t know how.

  To distract himself he greedily tore into the bag. It was an envelope and a pair of satin black gucci gloves. He set the gloves aside and opened the envelope. A car and a check sat in between its cardboard folds.

 

> To Kurt,
> 
> For all of your hard work. Enjoy London.
> 
> Love,
> 
> The office.

  The check was for 5,000 dollars even, and the card was signed from everyone, including the vice president.

  Kurt was speechless.

  “I - I can’t take this.” He managed to utter.

  “Yes you can, and you will. Pay for the semester with it, or keep it to spend. Also, “ she stopped to giggle. “I managed to get you a position at British Vogue. It’s something small, I collected on a favor that I owed, you might be fetching coffee for six months but it keeps you on our payroll and keeps your rent paid. “

  He felt like he would pass out. Her generosity was unmatched. There was no way Kurt deserved any of this, no way he could pay her back.  

  “Isabel, I can’t pay you back for this…” He trailed off.

  Isabel stood up and approached him. She sat atop the corner of her own desk and reached for his hand.

  “I’ve seen you go through so much since being here with us, Kurt. You’re always on time, you never call out sick. I’ve seen you get up from your desk to cry for five minutes, come back and take a call. No one else would do that! No one else has your commitment, your devotion to this company. If  I didn’t like you as a person, as my employee and as a potential editor for this publication, I wouldn’t put my energy into you. You will go far, and I always nurture the plants I want to see grow. You’re not going on a vacation, you’re just going to work for the same company in a different country! This is a blessing, baby.” She let his hand drop. “Besides, Jeremy’s paternity leave party is next month and you’re expected to chip in to his pot. It’s just what we do here. Last year, we raised 15 thousand for Sara M. to get a new car after her accident. We look out for our own.”

  Kurt liked Sara M. He nodded vigorously. He sniffled. This was becoming so overwhelming.

  “Okay, Isabel. Thank you.”

   She smiled.  “Now let’s talk about your new boss. . . ”

 

  On his way home after the long evening with Isabel he managed to stop by his local bank branch to deposit the check and turn half of it into British currency. As he exited the booth with the teller his phone rang.

  “When the hell were you gonna’ tell me that you were running off to  Europe?” An angry Burt Hummel’s voice rang through the tinny speakers.

  Kurt winced. “Dad, I was going to tell you when I had the time. I’ve just been so busy --”

  “Not busy enough that everyone knows before me! Me, Kurt!”

  “Okay, well, I wasn’t going to tell anyone else. Rachel apparently found out on accident. I’m sure that’s how you find out?”

  “No, Carol heard from Artie’s mom.”

  Great. He forgot how tight some of the glee parents were.

  “Well, I don’t know how Artie’s mom found out, but yes, Dad, I’m going to Europe to study abroad for six months.”

  Kurt exited the bank and slipped into the warm night air. New York City was simply beautiful at night. He began his walk to the subway station.

  "Six months!” Burt yelled.

  “Dad, please stop yelling. Remember, your heart?”

  “Don’t try and talk to me about my heart when you're the one breaking it right now, Kurt!”

  Kurt's veins went ice cold. This was exactly the thing he was trying to avoid. His head hurt, his feet hurt, and he wanted nothing more than to down a smoothie, take a hot shower, do his skin care routine and go to bed. 

  "Because I'm taking the opportunity of a lifetime? Dad, I thought you'd be happy for me?" Kurt asked, tears already springing from his cerulean eyes. He felt like he had been crying more in the last month than in his entire high-school career and that was saying something for him. 

"What about all the opportunities you have here? Or in New York? You asked me to let you go to New York, and I did. You can't ask me to let you go to another continent!" Burt's voice sounded gruff, and Kurt knew his father was extremely frustrated, but this was an amazing chance for Kurt. Not only did he have a great chance to study at a prestigious school, but he would meet new people and discover a foreign place. Isabel had collected on a favor to get him an entry-level position at the actual British Vogue magazine, and the networking online from that ... Kurt knew he had to take this chance, if not for him, but for everyone who believed in him. 

  
"Dad, I love you. I love Carol and I love Finn. However, I am going to London with or without your blessing, and it's getting late, and I just got off work. I'll face time you tomorrow, okay? We can talk about this and I can tell you all about the school I'll be at. I'm sorry Dad, but this is happening. " Kurt pleaded with his father. 

He heard silence on the other end, and that silence was deafening. 

"Okay, kiddo. I love you, have a good night." Burt's voice had gone soft. 

Kurt breathed in sharply. 

"Love you too, Dad." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Lyrics from “This Was A Home Once” by Bad Suns  
> \--- titles will be lyrics from songs that I consider relevant to the fic. listen if you wish. they are things I had in mind when writing. 
> 
> I wanted to make it all the way to the airport in this chapter, but after looking at my outline, I forgot to put some stuff in the last chapter and I added things that were meant to go in this chapter. I'm all over the place. Looks like I'll be making chapter three longer than what I had planned. It'll be out around the time I put out the first chapter in my Glee/Spartacus fic I'm working on. 
> 
> *** Wow! I can’t believe the attention this first chapter got! Thank you so much to all my amazing readers, new and old. I’m really experimenting with styles and formats right now, so bare with me! 
> 
> *** IMPORTANT LINKS ****
> 
> Insta: mysticforceblue -- come see my adventures  
> Facebook: itsfrantastic -- my creative content facebook page // videos, original fiction, updates etc
> 
> There's a pinterest board related to this fic with inspiration, character pics, world building stuff etc, I'll post an active link once I figure out how to change my user name on pinterest.


	3. Write It On A Piece of Stone

Kurt thought he was having a day. His flight was late, so he missed the shuttle bus to campus, and got lost leaving the airport. He eventually decided to just pay for the Taxi ride to campus. Orientation was long and grueling and he felt a little bit like a prized peacock in a showroom with how many times his student mentor stopped to show him off to all of her friends. She seemed a bit too excited that he was from America. Her blue hair looked pretty underneath the hot sun, but her roots were showing and Kurt desperately wanted to take her out of her graphic tee and combat boots and throw her in something more form flattering. He tried not to comment on her fashion taste.

Nicolette seemed like a nice enough girl but she only showed Kurt the places she and her friends frequented and he still had no idea where his classes were going to be. After he decided he could no longer take her incessant chattering, Kurt attempted to excuse himself from her. 

   “Kay, well, just text me if you need me! I’m always buzzing around. President of the graphic novel club and all! Bye!” 

Kurt stared at her retreating form and wanted to cry. He was definitely out of his own element here and confused as to what to do about it. 

He wandered around campus for a long enough time that he thought maybe he would absorb enough information that he would know where he was, but he didn’t, and he was lost. Kurt thought himself far more capable than this. Each building was large, and to his untrained architectural eye looked like small buildings that made up a large castle. They were old, and the arches and terraces were so many that he felt like he was at Hogwarts. It was both breathtaking and bewildering. NYADA had been similar -- all brownstone brick and city skyline -- but there was something  _ in the air _ that felt a bit like magic. He sat on a bench in the middle of some pretty courtyard. Surrounded by roses and green lush grasses he felt a little bit calmer but still incredibly stressed. 

   “Hello,” a raspy voice said. 

Kurt turned around quickly. He noticed a tall, beautiful woman with silky black hair standing in front of him. His eyes immediately went to her fashion black sports jacket and designer jeans. 

   “Hi,” he said, “Do you think where you could tell me Hoggard Hall is?” 

She nodded as she stood next to him. 

   “Sure, what’s your name? I like your Fendi ascot. Bold choice, American, bold choice.” 

Kurt knew he had been feeling very overwhelmed. He wondered if he looked as stressed as he felt. He wanted to curse himself for frowning, the wrinkles. Think of the wrinkles, Kurt! 

   “Kurt. I suppose you’ll be showing me around then, Brit?” Kurt said, taking a chance on the vibe he was getting from her. 

She smiled. 

   “Perhaps. My name is Morgana. You one of the transfer lot?” 

    “If you’re referring to the bulk of us that flew in from the states, then yes I am. Orientation ended hours ago and I’m actually quite confused.” 

Morgana nodded and grabbed a hold of Kurt’s elbow. 

   “Ah. Well. Where are you staying? On campus or off? It’s easier for me to show you around if you can set your stuff down first.” Morgana said as she pointed towards his Gucci suitcase and carry on bag. 

   “Really, how ever could you fit your clothes into such small bags?” Morgana looked to Kurt for an explanation. 

   “You would not believe the choices I had to make! Do I keep the gray sweater in case I want to match it with charcoal jeans or do I set it aside for the Versace robe? Do I even need the robe? What if I just bought fluffy pajamas from Walmart instead? I spent a long time thinking about it.” Kurt shrugged, a bit more melancholy about his choices than he thought he would be. He missed his friends and family already even though he knew this was an important opportunity. Kurt felt guilty for leaving everyone behind to do something for himself. 

   “Yes, well, you always need the Versace robe,” the woman said, giggling all the while to herself. 

Kurt liked her. 

* * *

 

She showed him to his sad, monochromatic dorm room. It was large enough for him to be comfortable but foreign enough that it would take some time for him. She allowed him a few moments to himself to investigate before suggesting they go out and get food. 

   “No campus food! Darling, it’s just horrible! No, no, I’m feeling a bit like sushi today. You?” 

Kurt shrugged before grabbing his small backpack where his wallet and other important items were usually kept. It was all black leather and engraved and had been a gift from Blaine. One he kept with him. 

   “I can’t wait to introduce you to my friends! You’ll like my brother and his boyfriend. Although Merlin is quite weird, Guinnie and Lance -- they’re great. And my brother, Arthur, plays for Cam and sometimes we get game invites. It’s all very lovely!” Morgana gushed from the corner of his room as he saw her swipe through Tinder. He made a mental note that she was swiping on both women and men and was proud of himself for not rolling his eyes at the name ‘Merlin’.

   “He plays for what?” Kurt asked as he motioned for her to leave the room, one hand on the door to lock it. 

    “Oh! He’s a football star. Well, he’s not a star  _ yet _ , but he’s so, so, so talented. The things that boy can do with a ball! Daddy is quite happy. He wasn’t happy when I told him I was going to major in fashion and design instead of taking over the family business but whatever will you do with parents?” 

Kurt had learned many things about Morgana in the time that she had given him the essentials tour. He thought she was beautiful and sophisticated and quite quippy, and in a way, she reminded him of a mixture of Santana and Quinn. She felt a bit like home, familiar and new in all the exciting ways he craved and Kurt was thrilled to have met her. 

Kurt knew nothing about American football, let alone the British one, but Kurt was willing to pretend for the sake of a budding friendship and he didn’t mind gazing upon beautiful British boys in short shorts. Athletic legs kicking and flexing with precision and purpose. 

Kurt sat across from Lancelot, who looked vaguely uncomfortable.  His right arm was wrapped around a beautiful black girl that Kurt had decided was going to be his new best friend the moment he laid eyes on her. She was engaging in a heavy conversation with Morgana (“Morg, please, Kurt. I know it sounds like a weird monster but it’s cute to have a monosyllabic nickname.”) about the statistics for whatever sport the brother was apart of. The way this friend group spoke about Arthur Pendragon made Kurt think he was some sort of deity. Kurt piled more California Rolls into his mouth as he tried to absorb as much information as he could. 

A tall muscular blonde man approached the table. 

   “Percy!” Lancelot said with more cheer than Kurt thought he had seen the man muster all evening. 

Percy in question slid into the booth and moved his hands to flag down the waitress. 

   “Oi! Who is the chap with the fancy clothes?” Percy asked the table with an easy smile in Kurt’s direction. 

Kurt choked a bit on his lemon water. Percy’s accent was thick but Kurt could still understand him. 

   “Oi yourself you bloody idiot,” Morgana said. “This is my darling friend Kurt. He’s studying abroad, you know.” She wiggled her eyebrows and he nodded. 

   “Nice to meet you, chap! How do you like good ole Londinium?”

Guinevere reached over the table and gently patted Kurt’s right hand. 

   “Ignore these morons. They mean well though.” 

Kurt smiled. He was glad he found Morgana when he did. He knew he would have had a hard time making friends in a brand new country 

   “Guinnie! Don't tell the man that. He’s only just met me he has!” Percy said laughing as he bumped Lancelot on the shoulder.   “Get her to stop spreading lies, Lancie!” 

   “I can’t get her to do anything! The only one that has that power is Elyan!” 

Kurt interrupted the bickering friends. “Elyan?” 

He knew that Santana would love them. Their names and accents were so interesting, and Kurt had spent the last few hours with them learning about what they were all doing and going to school for. Apparently, a lot of them played some sort of professional ball -- Kurt certainly didn’t understand the point of it but he knew Finn would think it was cool. 

Guin’s smile brightened at the mention of the name. “My brother!” she said. “He plays for Camelot too! Percy used to play for Arsenal but got traded.” 

Percy nodded thoughtfully. “I’m happy to be with my boys,” he said. 

Although he seemed genuine, Kurt couldn’t help but feel like that was a rehearsed line.

* * *

 

Morgana walked Kurt back to his door. 

  “I hope you had a grand time tonight, Kurt.” The woman said. Her dimples shone in the moonlight outside his front door and he felt an odd sense of happiness. The entire night had been a lot of fun for Kurt but he at least thought he would feel sad for not being with his glee friends. He was surprised to know he hadn’t and any real guilt he felt for being all the way from home had dissipated as the beers were poured and the laughter came out. 

   “Thank you so much, seriously, I had a great time,” Kurt said. He felt hiccups rising to the top of his throat. One too many pints would do that. He had gotten everyone’s instagram and snapchats during the night after they left the sushi restaurant and stumbled into a local pub where everyone else seemed to know who they all were. 

“Tag me in those pictures!” Morgana said. 

She was referring to the drunken selfies Lancelot insisted they all take. One of them featured Percy bent over a pool table and Kurt holding a pool stick very near Percy’s backside. A snapchat video had Guin drunk singing to an Ariana Grande song and Morgana begging her to stop scaring the other patrons of the boy. These were people who knew each other. Close enough to be a family, and they had welcomed Kurt with open arms. 

“Of course I will. Good night Morg!” Kurt said as he waved to the girl. He walked inside and looked out the window to watch her walk away. When she had he immediately crawled into bed, sheets be damned, before sighing and getting up to organize his new apartment. Drunk or not, he would never go to bed without moisturizing. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a thousand years later, I know. school has kicked my ass. can i blame it on school and not on my own poor life choices? lmao. as always: ya girl has an instagram and its POPPIN' these days. 
> 
> follow me on it for pics of my face and shenanigans of my life.  
> @mysticforceblue
> 
> love always,  
> fran.
> 
> p.s.: I'm really gonna go back and edit all my fucking fanfics bc I think they are trash and Im taking this revision course and I love it and seeing all my mistakes has me cringing. also, I want longer chapters. if you read my other fics (especially for every way) know that I'm probably gonna be editing and remixing those chapters soon and that might be my focus for a while)


	4. Calling Like A Distant Wind

Kurt’s classes began in a few days and he was very excited. He wasn’t the only American in his design classes; a couple of people were from North Dakota and one girl was from Florida. He had called his new boss and spent a few hours in his office going over everything he would be doing. His coworkers were glamorous and unique, and Kurt was happier than he had been in a long time. It would be very similar to what he was doing for Isabelle. Fetching coffee, taking notes during meetings, answering phone calls and even sometimes helping to plan spreads for the online portion of the site. An excellent resume booster and a welcome distraction to the workings of his inner mind.

Kurt and Morgana hung out at least once a week, sometimes two to three. 

Her brother's boyfriend, Merlin, was a lanky boy with blue eyes to rival Kurt’s own. He was studying myths and classics, but his minor was in Latin. Kurt liked Merlin in the same way he liked most of Morgana’s friends—his friends, now.

Guinevere wasn’t in school, she quit after her father had passed. Her brother, Elyan, had refused to enlist in the royal air force or run the family business and so it was left to her. Kurt felt bad, except she seemed happy but Kurt avoided looking for too long.

Merlin had an odd fashion sense. Kurt had only seen him a small handful of times. He was always running around, frantic and sweaty, wearing various shades of red and blue. Sometimes Kurt would see him wearing an oversized Camelot FC hoodie. Worn around the edges and faded from the wash, it probably belonged to the mysterious boyfriend, Morgana’s brother, the one Kurt hadn’t met yet. A pain always ran through his chest at the sight of that hoodie. Kurt and Blaine never shared clothing. Kurt -- too picky, and Blaine -- too short, but they often passed around a bowtie or other cute accessory. Even though Kurt wouldn’t mind adding a patterned bow tie to his ensemble, but he was always so afraid of taking Blaine’s shine.

Kurt was pleasantly surprised to see that Blaine hadn’t been texting him as often. Maybe it was international texting fees, but even on social media, Blaine was keeping his distance. Rachel sent him updates through snapchat on who in their class had gotten roles they were grossly unqualified for, or who had hooked up with who that week. He missed his friends a tiny bit but knew that Santana was still set to arrive in a few weeks and that he would get to share his new world with her.

 

* * *

 

“Kurt,” Merlin said one evening as he slid into the booth next to him at their favorite pub. “Have you ever met my boyfriend?” Merlin asked. His long bony fingers turned the quick pages of the bar menu. After class and work, their group would often meet at a restaurant or pub, excitedly chattering about the day's events, but Kurt had yet to meet Arthur Pendragon.

A revolving door of handsome men had sat at their table. Kurt had met Elyan, and Gwaine (who had the most beautiful head of black hair) and Leon, who always had a fun story to tell everyone.

“No, I haven’t,” Kurt said, stirring two packets of sugar into his iced tea (and boy, did they look at him with shock when he asked for it iced).

“He’s coming today! He’s always so busy! But he said he’d bring his Captain too. He’s super cool!” Merlin said as he smiled down at the menu. It was obvious the boy was excited for Kurt to meet his boyfriend. Kurt could tell they really loved each other. The door to the bar opened and a jingling sound filled the space. Kurt looked up. Gwaine in all of his leather and ripped jean glory sauntered up to their table.

“Merlin,” he said, “Kurtie.” Gwaine finished with a suggestive wink towards the fashionable boy. Kurt stuck his tongue out in response.

As far as he could tell, Gwaine flirted with everyone and everything. Men, women, even birds. It was fun, and harmless and always made Kurt feel better, feel accepted. He knew casual flirting would never have happened in the Glee club. Too many of his friends would have been worried about their sexuality and ego’s, but all the men in this friend group were mature and secure in who they were. It was refreshing and freeing.

Kurt’s phone buzzed.

_Kurt. Text me right away, boo._

He was only mildly flabbergasted to see a text from Santana.

One snapchat notification: _I’m going to kill all of them._ This one, from Santana.

He rolled his eyes. He wanted to know what they were talking about, what latest gossip that concerned him and probably Blaine, but he spared Merlin a cursory glance and decided to click his phone off. He definitely wanted to get to know him more. He was quirky and different, but Kurt felt like they had a lot in common.

“Kurt, those gold pants make you look absolutely fuckable,” Gwaine said with a pop of his mouth.

“I’m sure that’s what you say to all the pretty girls.”

“True, but you just happen to be my favorite one.”

Merlin rolled his eyes at Kurt and Gwaine’s antics.

“Anyways, Kurt, I’m excited for you to meet them. Arthur’s as stubborn as Morg and as frustrating as Gwaine but he’s—well, he’s—”

“Yeah, yeah, you love each other,” Percival said as he slid into the booth beside Gwaine. “Anytime these silly old romantics get together I want to suffocate myself.”

Merlin blushed. Kurt’s phone buzzed.

_I guess you’re not gonna text me back, baby. What you did to Blaine was wrong, and I’m so disappointed in you._

What the hell was Mercedes talking about? Kurt moved his right hand atop his phone, a feeling of dread filled his stomach.

“That’s because you’re just jealous, Percy.” A deep, unfamiliar voice said to the group.

Kurt immediately glanced up at the new people. Two shockingly handsome tall white men with blonde mops of hair stood in front of them. One had curly waves cut above his ears, and the other, a few inches taller, wore his hair straight, but they both had impeccable jawlines and sported the same athletic gear.

Merlin stood up and gave his boyfriend a kiss on the lips before smiling warmly at the table.

“This is Arthur, Kurt,” Merlin said as Arthur’s friend pulled an additional chair from a nearby empty table. “And this is Adam.”

Adam, the other man—Kurt assumed—was the captain of the soccer team. No, correction. Football team.

“Hello,” Adam said, “it’s lovely to meet you, Kurt.”

Kurt had grown accustomed to the various accents over the month that he had been in Britain. It had flown by so quickly, and he wasn’t sure what he would do when it was all over, but hearing Adam say his name? The melodic accent flittered over the four letters in a way that was both familiar and unfamiliar, a sweet succint sound that made him draw in a breath of air.

“Uh, h-hi! Arthur, Adam, I’ve certainly heard a  lot of things about you.”

“None of them have been any good!” Gwaine said as he stood up to hug Arthur.

“Bollocks, you fucking wanker,” Arthur said.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! 
> 
> I've been working on this chapter for a few days now, and this was what I decided to post. I've been so so sick lately, take care of yourselves! 
> 
> Catch me on instagram: @mysticforceblue
> 
> Title comes from a Peter Murphy song.


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